Paychex doesn't post journal entries directly to QuickBooks Online. To record Paychex payroll in QBO, download the Paychex payroll register, extract the totals, and create a manual journal entry. Here's how.
Download the Paychex payroll report
Log in to Paychex Flex and go to Reports > Payroll Reports > Payroll Register. Select your pay period and download as CSV or PDF.
Key line items to pull from the Paychex report
- Total Gross Pay → debit Wages Expense
- Federal Income Tax Withheld → credit Federal WH Payable
- Employee SS + Medicare Withheld → credit FICA Payable
- State Income Tax Withheld → credit State WH Payable
- Employer SS + Medicare → debit Payroll Tax Expense, credit Employer FICA Payable
- FUTA + SUTA → debit Payroll Tax Expense, credit FUTA/SUTA Payable
- Net Direct Deposits → credit Net Wages Payable
Create the QBO journal entry
In QBO: + New > Journal Entry. Set date = pay date. Enter all lines from above. Confirm equal debits and credits, then save.
Automate Paychex to QBO with PostBooks
PostBooks parses your Paychex payroll CSV, applies your QBO account mapping, and exports a balanced journal entry. See the Paychex to QuickBooks Online integration.